Lucha Libre World Cup (2016)
{{short description|Professional Mexican wrestling event}}
{{Infobox wrestling event
|name=Lucha Libre World Cup (2016)
|image=Lucha Libre World Cup (2016) poster.jpg
|caption=Official poster for the tournament
|tagline=
|promotion=Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide
|date=June 3, 2016
June 5, 2016{{Cite web|url=http://www.luchalibreaaa.com/noticias/lucha-libre-victoria-world-cup-poster-2016/|title=Lucha Libre Victoria World Cup 2016 - Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide|date=April 29, 2016|website=Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide|language=es-ES|accessdate=April 29, 2016}}
|venue=Palacio de los Deportes
|city=Mexico City, Mexico
|liveevent=Y
|lastevent=Rey de Reyes
|nextevent=Triplemanía XXIV
|event=Lucha Libre World Cup
|lastevent2=2015
|nextevent2=2017
}}
The Lucha Libre World Cup was a two-day professional wrestling event and tournament organized by Mexican professional wrestling promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA) with the financial backing of the Grupo Modelo brewery, with Victoria Beer as the official sponsor. The tournament included a number of three-man tag teams, referred to as trios in Lucha Libre, teams and wrestling promotions already announced are AAA, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), Lucha Underground and Pro Wrestling Noah among others. The tournament was announced as "Lucha Libre Victoria World Cup".
Production
=Background=
The Mexican lucha libre promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), with the financial support of the Mexican brewing company Grupo Modelo organized the first ever Lucha Libre World Cup over the summer of 2015. The tournament itself was a one-night eight-team tournament for trios, or tag teams of three wrestlers. AAA reached out to several promotions both in Mexico and around the world and arranged for six of the eight teams to come from outside of AAA. Japanese wrestling promotions All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and Pro Wrestling Noah.{{cite web | url=http://superluchas.com/2015/04/23/aaa-se-anuncian-los-integrantes-de-los-grupos-ajpw-y-noah-para-la-lucha-libre-world-cup/ | title=AAA: Se anuncian los integrantes de los Grupos AJPW y Noah para la Lucha Libre World Cup | date=April 23, 2015 | accessdate=April 24, 2015 | work=Súper Luchas | language=Spanish}} Both Total Nonstop Action and Ring of Honor, based in the United States, also sent representatives to the tournament, in each case bolstered by representatives of Lucha Underground, an AAA joint-venture project based on Los Angeles.{{cite web | url=http://www.mediotiempo.com/mas-deportes/lucha-libre/noticias/2015/05/04/equipo-listo-de-tna-lu-para-el-mundial-de-lucha-libre | title=Equipo listo de TNA-LU para el Mundial de Lucha Libre | date=May 4, 2015 | accessdate=May 5, 2015 | work=MedioTiempo | publisher=MSN | language=Spanish}} The tournament took place on May 25, 2015, and had the AAA labelled "Dream Team" of Rey Mysterio Jr., El Patrón Alberto and Myzteziz win the tournament, defeating Team TNA/Lucha Underground (Matt Hardy, Mr. Anderson and Johnny Mundo) in the finals.{{cite web | url = http://www.wrestleview.com/misc-news/54563-aaa-lucha-libre-world-cup-results-5-24-15-live-ippv-results | title = AAA Lucha Libre World Cup Results - 5/24/15 (Live results) | last=Boutwell | first=Josh | date=May 24, 2015 | accessdate=May 24, 2015 | work=Wrestleview}}
=Storylines=
The event featured various professional wrestling matches with different wrestlers involved in pre-existing scripted feuds, plots and storylines. Wrestlers were portrayed as either heels (referred to as rudos in Mexico, those that portray the "bad guys") or faces (técnicos in Mexico, the "good guy" characters) as they followed a series of tension-building events, which culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.
Wrestlers and promotions from around the world, Pro Wrestling Noah, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), Lucha Underground, Pro Wrestling Wave and Oz Academy, were announced as being involved. The inclusion of Wave and Oz Academy meant that female wrestlers were going to be included too as they are all-female wrestling promotions. On April 22, 2016, AAA made their first official press release confirming the 2016 version of the Lucha Libre World Cup. The statement confirmed that there would be two qualifying matches for the Cup during the April 29 show in Xalapa, Veracruz, but did not reveal a date for the tournament nor any other participants.{{cite web | url=http://www.thegladiatores.com/en-xalalpa-los-perros-del-mal-chocaran-entre-si/ | title=En Xalalpa, Los Perros del Mal chocarán entre sí | date=April 22, 2016 | accessdate=April 24, 2016 | work=The Gladiatores | language=Spanish | author=Lucha Libre AAA Worldwiden}} The first qualifier was a three-way match between Perros del Mal ("The Bad Dogs") teammates Joe Líder, Daga and Pentagón Jr., with the winner becoming part of a team representing AAA. The other qualifier was announced as current AAA Mega Champion El Texano Jr. wrestling against Taurus and Garza Jr. Of all the announced participants only Texano Jr. had participated in the previous year's Lucha Libre World Cup. The third qualifying match for Team AAA took place during the May 14 show in Orizaba, Veracruz and it was originally a three-way match between Nicho el Millonario, Ricky Marvin and El Hijo del Pirata Morgan but later due to a request from Psycho Clown he was added to the match and eventually won.{{Cite web|url=http://www.luchalibreaaa.com/noticias/fuego-orizaba-rumbo-vde2016/|title=Fuego en Orizaba rumbo a #VdE2016 - Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide|date=2016-05-15|website=Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide|language=es-ES|access-date=2016-05-17}}
Tournament rules
AAA vice president Dorian Roldán explained the rules in a video uploaded to AAA's official YouTube channel last year. The tournament would consist of trios matches structured in quarterfinals, semi-finals and a final, plus an extra match to determine the third place. The bouts are slated to have a 15-minute time limit. If the time limit is reached without a clear winner, each of the participating teams selects one member, and the two picked wrestlers face off in a 5-minute sudden death in which the winning wrestler gets the victory for his team. There will be as many sudden deaths as necessary to determine a victor.
Teams
;Men's Division
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Team !Team member !Reference |
| rowspan="3" |Team AAA
|{{cite web | url=http://www.luchalibreaaa.com/cronicas-aaa/locura-la-arena-xalapa-rumbo-verano-escandalo/ | title=Locura la Arena Xalapa rumbo Verano Escandalo | date=April 30, 2016 | accessdate=May 1, 2016 | publisher=Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide | language=Spanish}} |
| El Texano Jr. |
| Psycho Clown |
| rowspan="3" |Team Noah |
| Naomichi Marufuji |
| Maybach Taniguchi |
| rowspan="3" |Team Ōdō and Zero1 |
| Akebono |
| Ikuto Hidaka |
| rowspan="3" |Team Mexico Leyendas |
| La Parka |
| Blue Demon Jr. |
| rowspan="3" |Team Mexico International |
| Dr. Wagner Jr. |
| Dragon Azteca Jr |
| rowspan="3" |Team TNA
|EC3 |
| Eli Drake |
| Tyrus |
| rowspan="3" |Team Lucha Underground |
| Johnny Mundo |
| Brian Cage |
| rowspan="3" |Team Resto del Mundo |
| Rockstar Spud |
| Apolo |
;Women's Division
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ !Team !Team Member !Reference |
| rowspan="3" |Team Mexico |
| Mari Apache |
| Lady Apache |
| rowspan="3" |Team Japan |
| Yuki Miyazaki |
| Sumire Natsu |
| rowspan="3" |Team Canada
|Taya |
| Allie |
| K. C. Spinelli |
| rowspan="3" |Team USA |
| Sienna |
| Cheerleader Melissa |
Tournament bracket
Men's Division
{{Round8-with third
| |Team AAA|Win|Team Ōdō and Zero1|{{cite web | url=http://www.mediotiempo.com/lucha-libre/2016/06/04/dos-equipos-mexicanos-a-semis-en-mundial-de-lucha | title=Dos equipos mexicanos, a semis en Mundial de Lucha | date=June 3, 2016 | accessdate=June 5, 2016 | work=MedioTiempo | language=Spanish | publisher=MSN | first=Apolo | last=Valdés}}
| |Team Noah|Win|Team Resto del Mundo|
| |Team Mexico Leyendas||{{nobr|Team Lucha Underground}}|Win
| |{{nobr|Team Mexico International}}|Win|Team TNA|
| |Team AAA|Win|Team Noah|{{cite web | url=http://www.mediotiempo.com/lucha-libre/2016/06/05/estados-unidos-campeon-de-lucha-libre-world-cup | title=Estados Unidos, Campeón de Lucha Libre World Cup | date=June 5, 2016 | accessdate=June 5, 2016 | work=MedioTiempo | language=Spanish | publisher=MSN | first=Apolo | last=Valdés}}
| |{{nobr|Team Lucha Underground}}|Win|{{nobr|Team Mexico International}}|
| |Team AAA||{{nobr|Team Lucha Underground}}|Win
| |Team Noah|| {{nobr|Team Mexico International}}|Win|Consol=3rd place match}}
Women's Division
{{Round4-with third
| |Team Mexico|Win|Team USA|{{cite web | url=http://www.mediotiempo.com/lucha-libre/2016/06/03/mexico-y-japon-a-final-femenil-de-mundial-de-lucha-libre | title=México y Japón, a final femenil de Mundial de lucha libre | date=June 3, 2016 | accessdate=June 5, 2016 | work=MedioTiempo | language=Spanish | publisher=MSN | first=Apolo | last=Valdés}}
| |Team Japan|Win|Team Canada|
| | Team Mexico|Win|Team Japan|{{cite web | url=http://www.mediotiempo.com/lucha-libre/2016/06/05/mexico-campeon-mundial-femenil-de-lucha-libre | title=México, Campeón Mundial Femenil de Lucha Libre
| date=June 5, 2016 | accessdate=June 5, 2016 | work=MedioTiempo | language=Spanish | publisher=MSN | first=Apolo | last=Valdés}}
| |Team USA|| Team||Consol=3rd place match}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.facebook.com/LuchaWorldCup Official Facebook page]
- [http://www.luchalibreaaa.com/ Official Website]
{{2016 Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide events}}
{{AAAPPV|Lucha Libre World Cup}}
{{Lucha Underground}}
Category:2016 in professional wrestling
Category:Professional wrestling shows in Mexico City
Category:Pro Wrestling Noah shows